Caisson construction.



E. BIGNELL.

GAISSON CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY31,1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

tion.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, EDWARD IBIGNELL, or LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

GAISSON CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 30, 1912- Applicationfiled July 31, 1911. Serial No. 641,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD BIGNELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in CaissonConstruction, of which the following is a specifica- Another object. isto provide cylindrical eaissons of any desired length or diameter whichmay be lowered or sunk quickly, or without undue loss of .time, and withless expense for labor than usual.

The herein described caisson is particularly adapted for use in ordinarysiltdeposits, sand, gravel, clay or any other soil where boulders orlike obstructions are not likely to be encountered.

\Vith the above objects in view and others hereinafter mentioned, theinvention'consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illustratedin the drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size,proportion and minor details may be madewit-hin the scope of the claims,without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any ofits advantages.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of myinvention,

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a caisson, taken on linea a of Fig. 2, parts] .being broken away to more clearly showconstruction. Fig. 2 isa plan View of the caisson, being atransversesection on l1ne b b of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line ac of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail relating to Fig. 1, showing a passage:way through the operatingwhe'el.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, the bodyof the caisson consists, principally, of two cylindricalreceptacles,'4.- and .5, which may be constructed to advantage of sheetmetal, their uniformly, or substantially so.

and partitions operate to strengthen the 1t may sustain stresses,

' the number of side walls and bottoms indicated at d and e.

Receptacle 5 has-a less diameter than receptacle 4., and is disposedtherein to pro- .vide the annular chambers 6, 7 and 8 between walls dand separated by partitions 9.

At 10 are indicatedbraces disposed transversely of the annular chambers,between walls d, and between the bottoms of the ,re ceptacles, so thatthey may be spaced apart The braces caisson so that strains or lateralpressure.

" While I have described threeannular.

chambers I may employ more or less, and

the length or diameter of the caisson, and

these dimensions may be varied, also the chambers may have any suitablewidth. At 11, near the bottom and within the inner receptacle 5, andsecured-thereto in any suitable manner, is indicated a transversesupport1ng-bar or brace having a col-.

lar 12, and a similar bar or brace 13 may be employed at'the upper endof the caisson.

At 14 is indicated a tubular shaft disposed at the middle of the caissonand suitably journaled in bars 11 and 13, its collar 15 being supportedupon collar 12 of bar 11; and

rollers or balls 16 may be employed between these collars, if desired,so that the shaft may rotate without undue friction. is

'Since the shaft traverses Wallsor bottoms e, suitable apertures 17 areprovided in these parts for this purpose. Disposed be- ,low the caissonand rigidly the shaft is the cone-shaped, hollow drillmounted uponchambers will depend uponbeing respectively head 18. It should have. adiameter somewhat greater than that'of the caisson, and its downwardlyconvergent wall is formed with numerous perforations 19 and is providedwith ridges or fins 20.

Upon the upper terminal of the shaft is.

mounted the operating wheel 21 which may.' be actuated by any suitablemeans to cause. a rotation of the drill-head. Any suitable means may beprovided so that air or water under pressure may be discharged from thestationary supply pipe 22 within the tubu lar shaft- 14, the meansherein shown being the usual apertured ball 23 rigidly mounted upon thepipe and seated in socket 2a, the socket being formed in platform 25,this platform being mounted upon the upper 10 said chamber toporting-bars; a tubular member longitudinally traversing the receptacleand journaled in the supporting-bars, said tubular member having adischarge port below the bottom of the receptacle and providing apassageway for a fluid element.

5. caisson comprising a cylindrical, outer receptacle formedatlongitudinal intervals with perforations, a cylindrical receptacleprovided upon its inner wall with sup orting-bars and disposed withinthe per orated receptacle to form a chamber therebetween; tubularmembers disposed in provide conduits for the passage therein '0 a fluidelement; a rotatable shaft longitudinally traversing the receptacles andjournaled in the supportingbars; a hollow drill-head having a taperedperforated Wall, said drill-head being disposed below the outerreceptacle and mounted upon the shaft; said shaft and drill-headproviding a passageway for a fluid element.

6. An improvement in ,caisson construction, comprising an outer,elongated receptacle formed with perforations in its bottom and sidewalls; a second elongated receptacle disposed within the outerreceptacle, a plurality of partitions disposed transversely atlongitudinal intervals of and between the receptacles to form chambers;and a plurality of conducting pipes having discharge ports disposedwithin and adaptgd to convey a liquid element to said chamers.

7. An improvement in caisson construction, comprising an outer, dricalreceptacle formed with perforations in its bottom and side walls; asecond,'u right, cylindrical receptacle disposed within the outerreceptacle, a plurality of partitions disposed transversely atlongitudinal intervals of and between the receptacles to form chambers;a plurality of conducting pipes having discharge ports disposed withmand adapted to convey a liquid element to said chambers; a tubular shaftprovided upright cylin-' conveying a liquid element.

8; An improvement in caisson construct1on, compris ng a cyllndrlcalreceptacle formed with perforations in its bottom and 4 side walls; asecond cylindrical receptacle disposed within .the outer receptacle, aplurality of partitions disposed transversely between the receptacles toform a plurality of chambers; and a plurality of conducting pipesadapted to convey a liquid element, said pipes having their dischargeports disposed within said chambers. I

9. An improvementin caissons, comprising, in combination withan outer,upright cylindrical receptacle formed with perforations in its bottomand upright cylindrical receptacle disposed within the outer receptacle,a plurality of partitions disposed transversely between the receptaclesto form a plurallty of chambers; a plurality of conducting pipes adaptedto convey a liquid element and having their discharge ports dis osedwithin said chambers; a tubular shaf t provided at one of itsterminals'with a cone-sha ed hollow drill-head with perforations in itstapered wall, said shaft being disposed substantially in the axialplaneand traversing said receptacles with its drill-head disposed belowthe bottom of the outer receptacle,-said shaft and drill-head for thepassage therethrough of a liquid element. I 1

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWARD BIGNELL.

side walls; a second,

providing a conduit

